


Ali Baba and the Magic Mirror

by CrunchySalad



Category: Magi (Manga)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, Frottage, M/M, One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-30
Updated: 2012-03-30
Packaged: 2017-11-02 18:36:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/372079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrunchySalad/pseuds/CrunchySalad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ali Baba is depressed over Kassim's death when he finds a mirror that transports him into one of his future lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ali Baba and the Magic Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a while ago as a kind of exercise to get over writer's block, so it's not really a fully realized fic. I debated whether I should post it at all, but the dearth of Magi fics made me think why not? Hopefully someone out there enjoys it.

There was a mirror. A mirror and flashing lights and Aladdin's shocked expression, but everything was a little askew, like in a dream. Had he been dreaming? Ah, yes, that would explain his current lack of vision and generally fuzzy feeling. He was waking up. Ali Baba stretched and opened his eyes, a residual yawn on his lips. 

"Oh, thank God."

That was. . . strange. The words were spoken in a language he didn't know, and yet he still understood them. Was he still asleep? He hated dreams within dreams and the disoriented feeling he got waking inside one of them. And he hated how, even in lucid dreams, he still could never control what happened.

"I was worried you wouldn't wake up. I never should have let you go to sleep, not when you might have had a concussion. But I guess you're fine now."

But this was a strange room he was dreaming about. So far he had only seen the ceiling, which was covered with impossibly realistic paintings. Posters, his mind told him, although he wasn't sure where the word came from. He could hear footsteps, moving away, and he sat up to get a better look at his surroundings. A tiny room with two small beds pushed together, two dressers, and two desks. More posters. There were two doors in front of him, one closed and no doubt leading outside, the other half-open into another seemingly smaller room. There was the sound of running water coming from it.

"Ali Baba!"

Ali Baba looked around. That had been Aladdin's voice, no doubt about it, a yelled whisper from somewhere nearby. But he didn't see Aladdin anywhere.

"Ali Baba!"

And then his eyes landed on a little gold mirror that was laying next to him on the mattress. His eyes widened as he remembered everything. . . it hadn't been a dream. He remembered staying locked up in a room in the Sindria royal palace, without the strength of will to even get out of bed. He remembered Ja'far forcing him, Aladdin, and Morgiana out to take a tour of the estate in an attempt to cheer them up. He remembered being in a treasury room and picking up a mirror that had fallen from a pedestal. And the next thing he knew he was waking up in this strange place.

Ali Baba scrambled to pick up the mirror. Its surface was as glossy and smooth as he remembered, but it wasn't his face that was reflected in it. Instead, Aladdin peered out at him, Ja'far and Morgiana behind him.

"Ali Baba!" Aladdin said again, relief flooding his features. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Ali Baba yell-whispered, eyes flashing toward the room the man who had spoken to him before was no doubt in. The bathroom. "What's going on?"

"Calm down, Ali Baba," Ja'far said. "We'll figure out how to get you back."

"Back from where?" Ali Baba asked. "Where am I?"

The three shared a concerned look that Ali Baba decided he did not like at all.

"Well, you see," Ja'far started, "the mirror you picked up seems to be a magical object."

Ali Baba resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That much he had already figured out.

"And it seems to have transported you to some unknown location."

Silence stretched among the group like the Sahara stretching over Northern Africa. Eventually it was Morgiana who took action, snatching the mirror from Aladdin's hands.

"Are you safe there, Ali Baba?"

Yeah. That much Ali Baba could feel easily enough. Wherever he was, it was safe. What's more, it felt like _home_. "Yeah. This place is safe."

Morgiana nodded. "We'll get you back soon. Until then, don't worry."

"Yeah, yeah. You're right." Ali Baba took a deep breath. These were his friends. They were much stronger than he was, and he could count on them. "Thanks, Morgiana."

Morgiana nodded, her reflection flickered and swayed, and then Ali Baba was staring at himself. His arm dropped down to his side as his eyes scanned the room properly. As he looked at the strange objects displayed there, their names would come unbidden to his mind, along with purposes and uses. A hot plate. A television. A laptop. As the knowledge of each filled his head, he grew more and more amazed. A device that kept the whole world connected. What kind of fantasy world had he been teleported to? He supposed he should feel fortunate that the magic of the mirror somehow gave him innate knowledge of this place; it made it a lot easier to navigate.

As Ali Baba sat in bed marvelling at the things in the room, he realized the water in the bathroom had stopped. He sat up, his back a little bit straighter, his hands tensed. He didn't sense any danger, but the fact was he needed to be prepared. The door opened, and. . . and. . .

"Alex? Why are you staring at me like that? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ali Baba could hardly breath. His eyes were starting to sting. And when he spoke, his voice came out heavy and cracked. "Kassim?"

And it was him. It couldn't be anyone else. The sly expression on his face. The long dreadlocks that left wet trails on his button-down shirt. And those nimble fingers, the fingers of a thief, deftly working to attach a tie around his neck.

"What did you call me?" Kassim asked, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Are you still dreaming?"

No. Maybe. He hoped not. Ali Baba stumbled forward, made it to the edge of the bed, close enough to throw his arms around the other man. His cheeks were wet right now, he was sure, and as he clung to Kassim he buried his face in the man's neck. He smelled the same. Even under the scent of some exotic soap and perfume, it smelled like Kassim. Ali Baba just wanted to breath him in forever. Arms wrapped around Ali Baba and hands ran over his back, warm and comforting.

"Hey," Kassim said, his voice now worried. "Seriously, are you okay?"

Ali Baba nodded and squeezed tighter. "I had a dream that you were dead."

Not a dream, but it was so easy to think of it as one for now.

Kassim chuckled, but when he spoke he did so with a soft tone of voice. "Hey, I'm right here. I'm alive."

Ali Baba nodded and let Kassim pull away, if only just a little. Kassim's hands found their way to his cheeks, where they brushed wet tears and damp hair to the side.

"I'm alive," Kassim said again, just a little more than a whisper. They stayed like that for a moment before Kassim drew his hands away and returned to his normal speaking voice. "Are you going to be okay if I leave?"

Ali Baba nodded once again. He watched as Kassim pulled on a pair of jeans, threw a messenger's bag over his head, and then leaned forward.

"I'll meet you at the dining hall for dinner at six," he said, before pressing his lips against Ali Baba's in a kiss. "See you."

Ali Baba was frozen for a moment, his eyes wide open. By the time he came to his senses, Kassim was gone. His fingers moved to his lips. What. . . what the hell was that? Had Kassim just _kissed_ him? A blush rose to color Ali Baba's cheeks pink. The kiss. The pushed-together beds. Were they in _that_ kind of relationship? Ali Baba fell down and buried his face in a pillow out of embarrassment. They shared beds. They slept together. Possibly, they did more than just sleep together. Ali Baba was sure that he was as red as a tomato by now. And why exactly was there a smile on his lips?

When he had recovered to the point where he didn't feel like a giddy, virginal fourteen-year-old, Ali Baba got out of bed properly and went to go get ready for the day. More and more things were coming to him now, and he went through the motions of taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed automatically. He had classes to attend; he was a college student. He pulled one of Kassim's sweatshirts on over his clothes when he was done, simply because it smelled like him.

Finished, Ali Baba threw the gold mirror into the front pocket of his sweatshirt and picked up his bag. He paused for a second in front of the dresser and smiled. There was a framed photograph there of him and Kassim, Kassim's arm thrown over his shoulders and big smiles on both their faces. This world, he thought, wasn't the worst one to be stuck in.

He went to open the door, only to yelp and jump back when he saw who was on the other side. The man didn't have his long braid of hair and was dressed in a business suit, but it was most definitely Judal, his fist up in the air as though he were about to knock. There was a small frown on his face, but it quickly spread into the most insincere smile Ali Baba had ever seen.

"Alex," he said, "I'm so glad I caught you. I thought I could take you and Kasey out to lunch."

"Kasey already left," Ali Baba said, remembering that Judal was one of his father's aids. His father the lieutenant governor.

Judal's smile stayed frozen in position, but his eyes darkened for an almost imperceptible moment. "That's a shame. I guess it will just be the two of us, then."

Before Ali Baba could protest Judal had a vice grip around his bicep and was pulling him forward. Soon he was in a car—and what an invention that was!—sulking in his seat as Judal conducted business over his telephone. After that it was a private room at a restaurant just off campus, where they ordered something known as Italian food.

Judal had a large salad in front of him, but he just smiled as he watched Ali Baba eat his cacio e pepe. "So. You and Kasey are still doing well together?"

Ali Baba nodded as he slurped up noodles. He was pretty sure they were doing well; that's the feeling he was getting, at least.

Judal's smile stretched even wider. "I don't suppose you two might break up? At least until after November, at least."

"No, I don't suppose we might," Ali Baba answered, his lips pulled into a frown. Something told him that the Judal in this world was a huge asset to his father, but no less underhanded than the Judal in his world. "Why would you even ask that?"

"Well, elections are coming up," Judal said, his smile never wavering. "The fact that the lieutenant governor's son is gay isn't that huge of an issue. This state's in danger of turning blue with every election, so the fact that your father's seen as moderate and compassionate isn't a horrible thing. But the fact that your boyfriend has vocally come out in support of the democratic candidate is another matter entirely."

As soon as Ali Baba wondered what Judal meant by all that, his mind gave him the answer. Apparently relationships between men weren't really accepted in this world and were generally opposed by republicans, of which his father was one.

"That's Kasey," Ali Baba said. "It doesn't have anything to do with me or Dad."

"You, of all people, should know that opponents will find every little thing they can to nitpick at and and blow out of proportion. What's more, I don't know what thoughts he might be filling your head with."

"I'm finished eating." Ali Baba pushed his half-full plate away and reached down to pick up his bag.

"Well, there's always ways of making the two of you break up, if you won't agree to do it yourself."

Ali Baba stopped, his fingers barely touching nylon straps, and he turned to send a sharp glare Judal's way.

Judal's eyes closed into half-circles as his smile turned into a grin. "Just kidding. As though I would ever go that far."

It sounded more like a threat than a joke. Ali Baba's hand tightened around the strap before he hoisted it over his shoulder. "I'm leaving."

"My driver will drop you off at your next class. Take care, Alex."

Even in this world, he really disliked Judal. On the car ride back to his class he did his best to push the man out of his head. After that, he sat in rapt attention learning about things like history and government, about how vast and how old this world was compared to his own. His classes that day started late but they ended late as well, and after the last one he trekked straight to the dining hall where Kassim would be waiting.

A plastic tray and three different lines later, Ali Baba found himself sitting next to Kassim at a round table, friends from Kassim's lacrosse team all around them. No counterparts for Morgiana or Aladdin, though, and Ali Baba wondered if they existed in this world. Or maybe they were just in a different part of it. He only half-listened to the conversation around him as he thought about them and about the Judal of this world.

"Practice tomorrow morning is going to be hell."

"At least you don't have an eight o'clock class, so you can go back to your dorm and sleep afterward."

"And this fucker Kasey doesn't even have to go at all."

"Man, I'd rather be at practice than giving some bullshit interview for a blog that doesn't even usually cover sports. They always have some angle they want to work with me. What's it like being a black guy playing lacrosse? What's it like being openly gay in collegiate athletics? What's it like dating the lieutenant governor's son?"

At the mention of himself Ali Baba tuned back into the conversation, but they were already moving onto the next subject. After dinner they said goodbye to their friends and walked away from the dining hall, Ali Baba's right palm pressed against Kassim's left, their fingers intertwined. It was cool enough that Ali Baba didn't feel bad pressing into Kassim's side under the pretense of sharing warmth. Really, though, it was so strange that he was so happy to in this simple moment, just holding Kassim's hand on an unusually crisp spring day.

"Hey," Kassim said, "are you still shaken up from that dream or something? You were pretty quiet during dinner."

"No," Ali Baba replied. "I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little tired."

"Yeah? You want to skip movie night and just go to sleep?"

Ali Baba smiled and shook his head. "No. I'm dying to watch a movie, actually."

There was a small video store just off campus, not even a ten-minute walk from their dormitory. As they walked there, Ali Baba soaked up all the sights and sounds of the campus. A group of students throwing around a frisbee in a grassy area. A young man in a caftan playing his acoustic guitar on some brick steps. Two woman giggling as they exited a Bubble Tea store, domed plastic cups filled with pink and purple liquid in their hands. And when they got to the video store, Ali Baba had more fun than he rightly should have, reading over descriptions on those rectangular boxes and laughing over particularly ridiculous plot lines with Kassim. Eventually they settled on some generic action movie, bland and mindless entertainment the most appealing thing being offered.

The laughter only continued as they microwaved popcorn in their dorm floor lobby, flirting and joking over things that weren't even funny as the kernels popped in the background. After that it was back to the dorm room, Ali Baba popping the dvd into his laptop before taking a seat on the floor, nestled in Kassim's lap. His back settled against Kassim's chest as his hand fell naturally on Kassim's leg. It was such a ridiculously simple, perfect moment, just watching a movie in a tiny, dark room, the warmth of someone he loved all around him.

Halfway through the generic action movie they were treated to a generic sex scene, saved only because of the lead actor's impressive backside. Ali Baba started to get turned on despite himself, body reacting to the powerful thrusting of hips and thick thighs. Not that he was the only one. As he shifted in his seat he felt Kassim behind him, half-hard against his back. Kassim moved a hand down over Ali Baba's chest with a little chuckle. Ali Baba, for his part, leaned back and looked up at Kassim's face.

"Stop the movie?" Ali Baba asked.

"Stop the movie," Kassim confirmed, before leaning down to give Ali Baba a kiss.

Ali Baba scrambled to shut off his laptop, then they both scrambled to the bed, lips meeting as their hands pulled at each other's clothes. Ali Baba could barely get his fingers to work, but Kassim, thankfully, didn't notice. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. The Ali Baba in this world was no doubt experienced, but he himself had never even kissed anyone before coming here. But no matter how fast his heart raced, no matter how shaky his fingers were, he knew that he wanted to do this. Just kissing felt so amazing, he felt like he would be happy making out all night, but he wanted to experience it all.

But then kissing fell to the wayside when his nude erection brushed against Kassim's thigh. The simple contact sent sparks radiating out through his body; strange, considering how light it was. Maybe it was just the fact that it was intimate contact with another person, with Kassim. But that brief friction was nothing compared to when their bodies pressed together, when their cocks pressed together.

Ali Baba's fingers tangled in Kassim's dreadlocks even as their bodies pressed closer still, rubbing against each other with almost frantic need. Never once breaking contact from lips and tongue. They thrust and rut against each other, cocks rubbing against each other time and time again. Ali Baba could feel his climax building. As his tongue continued to explore Kassim's mouth his hands moved over his back, fingers attempting to find purchase on the slick flesh. And then he felt it. A little jerk before his cock started to shoot, pleasure rolling through his body, warm semen landing on his skin. Kassim kept humping against him until he, too, came, a groan ushering another torrent of come between their bodies. Afterward they lay there, breathing heavily and bodies spent, until Kassim pressed a kiss to Ali Baba's forehead and broke the silence.

"Come on," he said, "we should go get cleaned up before going to sleep."

Ali Baba smiled as Kassim took his hand to lead him into the shower.

Later on in the middle of the night, Ali Baba woke up to someone calling his name. His still half unconscious mind thought at first that it was Kassim, but as sleep left him he realized that the voice was coming from his sweatshirt. His eyes popped open and he jumped out of bed, grabbing his sweatshirt as he raced to the bathroom.

Honestly, he had forgotten all about Aladdin. Even though it had only been a day, he felt like he belonged in this world, to the point where he had almost forgotten about the old one. He felt almost guilty for it. He pulled out the mirror, not surprised to see Aladdin there.

"Ali Baba, we figured it out!" Aladdin said, before the mirror was taken away and Ali Baba found himself looking at Ja'far instead.

"Apparently," Ja'far said, "the mirror has the ability to transport you to one of your other lives."

Ali Baba nodded. That made sense enough, though he wondered about what had happened to himself in this world. Sleeping in some limbo somewhere, maybe?

"Getting back is simple enough," Ja'far said. "It's as easy as drawing a specific design and placing the mirror at the center of it. We have a sketch here, so if you have something to write with you can make a copy."

"Yeah. Okay."

Ali Baba left the bathroom to look for a piece of paper and a pencil, which he found in no time flat. When he was back at the mirror he saw that Ja'far was already holding up the design, a semi-intricate arrays of lines and shapes with an empty circle in the middle. It didn't take a terribly long time for Ali Baba to copy it, though it did take several minutes.

"Finished," Ali Baba said.

"Now all you have to do is put the mirror on the circle in the middle."

And here Ali Baba couldn't help but pause. He held the mirror in one hand and the paper in the other, but his eyes drifted toward the wall separating him and Kassim.

"Ali Baba?"

Ali Baba looked down at the mirror. Aladdin's face was there, looking at him with big eyes.

"Hurry up already," Aladdin said. "What's taking so long?"

"Sorry, Aladdin," Ali Baba said.

Kassim wasn't alive in that world, but he was alive in this one. Before Aladdin could say anything else, Ali Baba bundled the mirror and the sweatshirt, the thick fabric doing well to muffle sounds coming from within. He left the bathroom, buried the sweatshirt and the design deep inside his dresser, and crawled back into bed.

The next morning, Ali Baba woke up with a smile on his face. Kassim was no less content with the world. They joked around as their brushed their teeth, side by side in the mirror. Kassim helped Ali Baba shave. Ali Baba helped Kassim do up his tie. And they held hands as they walked to the dining hall, where they enjoyed a feast of generic cereal and undercooked eggs. Things were absolutely perfect until Ali Baba's eyes landing on a newspaper some other student had left on the table. There, on the third page of the style section, was Ali Baba's name.

Kassim saw where Ali Baba's eyes were directed and reached out for the paper before reading it out loud. "Most of our readers know that Alex Sagan is the openly gay son of republican lieutenant governor Sagan. What they might not know is that his long-term boyfriend has taken a position interning for Simon Simone, the repetitively named democratic candidate for governor in this year's race. Given the fact that Alex will no doubt be supporting his father during the campaign trail, will this mean trouble for the young lovers?"

It was just a small paragraph in the local newspaper, but it really annoyed Ali Baba. Just because his father was famous, he thought, didn't mean his personal life should be gossip fodder for the public.

"It's so ridiculous," Kassim said. "People these days can't just look at the politics. They're more obsessed with every one's private lives."

"Justin's not going to be happy about this," Ali Baba said, using Judal's current name.

"Justin's an asshole." Kassim's eyes ran over the short paragraph one more time before turning toward Ali Baba. "Are you going to do it? Slump for dad during the election?"

"Well, yeah," Ali Baba replied. He had the impression that his father in this time was loving and doting, accepting enough that Ali Baba had been comfortable enough to come out back in high school. Maybe that was just because the culture of this world seemed to promote more hands-on parenting from the father, but it didn't change the fact that he was a good father who Ali Baba wanted to support. "He's my dad."

Kassim frowned at the easy answer. "I like your dad, Alex, I do, but the fact is he's running with fucking Redman Koh, who's trying to amend the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. And it's not like your dad's speaking out against that."

"Because he's the lieutenant governor," Ali Baba replied. "He has to, at least publicly, support Koh's policies."

"Bullshit," Kassim said. "Just because of his job title, he's okay with denying basic civil rights to his own son?"

Ali Baba bristled. It was more complicated than that and Kassim knew it. "You've said before that we're more than just our sexuality. So why are you so focused on this one issue?"

"Because it's important! I don't understand how you can be a member of a party that hates you, even if you agree with them on some other issues." Kassim slammed his hands down onto the table. "You shouldn't be supporting your dad, Alex, and you know it. You should publicly endorse Simon."

"I'm not going to betray my dad!" It's not like Ali Baba didn't realize that it was an important issue. But he doubted Koh's amendment would stick, anyway, and this was his own father they were talking about. The media would just love the fact that Sagan's own son wouldn't vote for him; it would do nothing but hurt the campaign and hurt his father. "Telling me what I should and shouldn't do. . . you're just as hardheaded and controlling as you were in Balbadd!"

Kassim's face scrunched up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Forget it. I'm leaving."

Ali Baba stomped away, ignoring the way Kassim called his name out after him. Eventually he found himself on a stone bench underneath the shade of a tree, just off the campus mall. As he watched the other students laying about and relaxing on the expansive green lawn, he felt his anger ebb and flow away. He didn't know why Kassim couldn't just _understand_. In this world and the last, there were ways of obtaining your goals without hurting other people. And then, in both worlds, there was the fact that Kassim's words and actions held truth and noble intentions within them.

How connected were all his lives, Ali Baba wondered. Was Kassim destined to die young in this world as well? Ali Baba's heart clenched. No, there was no reason why that would be so. This world and his own world, Ali Baba thought, were two separate things. At any rate, he didn't want to stay mad at the Kassim in this world. He didn't want to be on bad terms in case something did happen. Just as Ali Baba was about to go back and apologize, he heard footsteps walking up to him, and turned to see Kassim standing there. The other man looked vaguely sheepish, a frown on his face and hands in his pockets.

"Sorry," Kassim said. "I know you would never want to hurt your dad. I shouldn't have told you to do otherwise."

So this Kassim wasn't as stubborn as he was all those years ago.

"I'm sorry, too," Ali Baba offered. "You're right that it's an important issue, and it's wrong for me to just stand back and do nothing. I'll talk to my dad about opposing the amendment."

"It's just that it's a little hard," Kassim continued, his eyes burning with conviction. "I know you love your dad, but I feel like Simon is someone who can really change things in this state. In this country. He's a huge rising star in the party, you know? I'm really excited about supporting him, so I guess it's frustrating when you don't feel the same."

Ali Baba was a little stunned for a moment. This was something that really meant a lot to Kassim. This was something he was really invested in. Ali Baba wondered if his own modern counterpart had something he was dedicated to as well. A vague sense of guilt tugged at Ali Baba's mind. If so, he was preventing his modern self from living his goals and dreams. And here he was just content to stay at Kassim's side, no nobler intentions filling his head.

And what about his own goals, Ali Baba wondered. What had happened to the conviction in his own words when he said he would see Balbadd thriving once again? Or his promise to travel the world with Aladdin? How could he even contemplate casting aside his friends and his citizens for this unnatural bit of happiness? The Kassim of his world was dead, he thought. This was no way to bring him back.

"Are you okay?" Kassim asked, some mixture of confusion and concern on his features.

Ali Baba wiped at watering eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry, you should go to class."

Before Kassim left, though, Ali Baba got up to give him a hug goodbye. His arms wrapped so tightly around Kassim's body that it must have hurt the other man, but Kassim didn't say anything. He just simply, quietly, hugged Ali Baba back.

"Goodbye," Ali Baba said, the words muffled into Kassim's cheek.

"Hey, isn't it 'see you later'?"

Ali Baba didn't answer. He just drew away and smiled. "Have fun in class."

"Yeah, okay," Kassim said, his words slow and measured. His eyebrows drew together a little as they brushed Ali Baba's hair out of his face. "I'll see you after classes are over."

Ali Baba just smiled back. After Kassim left, he turned to go back to his dorm room, where he slowly drew out the golden mirror and the design he had drawn. It was time to stop being selfish. Hands shaking, he picked up the mirror and placed it in the center of the design.

Flashing lights so bright Ali Baba had to close his eyes. A feeling of being sucked in every direction. And then, as things went still, Aladdin and Morgiana's faces. Their expressions changed from confused to shocked to ecstatic, and Ali Baba nearly had the breath knocked out of him as they both ran to hug him.

"Ali Baba!" Aladdin yelled. "You're back!"

"It's good to have you back," Morgiana said, in a tone warmer than she usually used.

"Sorry I'm late," Ali Baba said, petting both their heads. "Now let's eat. I'm strangely hungry."

"Yeah!" Aladdin replied. "You wouldn't believe the food they have here. . ."

Ali Baba smiled as Aladdin rambled on about all the dishes they would eat. Aladdin was holding his left hand as Morgiana held his right, both of them smiling as they dragged him toward the kitchen. How could he have ever thought about abandoning them? Even if Kassim was gone, he had his friends. He had his dreams. And, besides, Kassim wasn't _really_ gone; he was just waiting. One day Ali Baba would catch up, and when that happened, they could continue onto their future lives together.


End file.
